A Unified Response to the BICS Consultation: Ensuring Engineering Is Recognised – Scottish Engineering Member Roundtable
The UK Government’s British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) aims to reduce electricity costs for the UK’s frontier industrial sectors and the foundational sectors that support them.
Scottish Engineering members are central to those sectors’ supply chains – providing the engineering, manufacturing, tooling, fabrication, and innovation that these industries rely on.
Yet early proposals risk under-representing engineering activity within the eligibility criteria.
This roundtable creates a space for members to join forces and shape a collective, industry-led response before the consultation closes.
Why Your Participation Matters
- Engineering is fundamental to the frontier sectors BICS is designed to support
- If Scottish Engineering members are not clearly represented within the frontier or foundational sectors, they may be excluded
- Only a unified response can influence the final scope and process
- The consultation is open – but time is limited
Topics We Will Explore
- Purpose & Context Understanding BICS and what the Government aims to achieve.
- Eligibility & Inclusion Does the proposal recognise engineering’s supply-chain role? What’s missing?
- Application Process How do we ensure SMEs are not excluded by complexity or narrow criteria?
- Sector Needs What the engineering community requires that the current proposal has not yet addressed.
- Implementation Timeline Is April 2027 too late for an industry already struggling with energy costs?
- Backdating the Benefit Should support be backdated if implementation is delayed?
Call to Action
If engineering businesses want to be included and recognised – we must act together. This is our chance to influence the scheme before it is finalised.
